Paul Ryan on $16 trillion debt mark: 'Serious threat' to economy

In a stump speech in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Paul Ryan just reacted to the news that the national debt has surpassed $16 trillion, calling the development a “bit of a downer.”

“We just heard about an hour ago that our government eclipsed the $16 trillion mark in our national debt,” the Republican VP candidate said. “This is a serious threat to our economy. Of all the broken promises from President Obama, this is probably the worst one. Because this debt is threatening jobs today, it’s threatening prosperity today, and it is guaranteeing that our children and grandchildren get a diminished future.”

He also threw this in for good measure: “We had a debt clock at the convention last week. I don’t see the debt clock at the convention this week.”